A Ninja's Duty
by Kakashifan727
Summary: KakashixCO, NaruSasu (No Sakura) two shot Team Seven attempts to take the bell test and become full fledged ninja! And Kakashi gets more than he bargained for...
1. Chapter 1

"Name's Naoki. As you've guessed I'm twenty-four years old.." I start giving my introduction, until I think I hear a soft sound coming from one of my new teammates. Looking over to my right, past the blonde loudmouth, I see that brooding kid glaring at me. It was him, I know it. I clear my throat and frown slightly continuing my speech

"Sorry I'm not a genius, pal. Not everybody can be as talented and privileged as you are. Hell, I figured I did a pretty good job getting this far, not being from a ninja clan and all..."

"Please just finish your introduction," Kakashi comments, causing me to blush slightly. Well, that Uchiha insulted me! I wasn't gonna take that lying down. Bet I've made a bad first impression of myself...Ah, well. That'll change with time I hope.

"Right, sorry Sensei. Anyways, I don't have too many things I love or hate. I dunno...I can't think of much. As for hobbies I do enjoy reading a good book once in a while, I guess. Haven't had much time to do that lately. Been studying my ass off for this final exam," I answer, noting how Sensei's expression doesn't change in the slightest. How does he do that? Must be because he's a Jounin. He finally gets up from the ledge he was sitting precariously on another amazing feat, and looks at all three of us. I don't like the feeling he is giving off; neither does Naruto, I think, judging by his scared expression.

"Speaking of the final exam...The one you just took wasn't anything special. Just because you graduated doesn't mean you're real ninja, yet," Kakashi starts, but an outburst from Naruto cuts him short

"What the hell d'ya mean 'nothing special'? I worked my ass off to get here and you're saying it's useless!" Kakashi fixes his attention on the blonde, leaning his torso forward so that their noses are inches away. I note that from my angle on these steps, Sensei's ass is high in the air. Damn, it looks nice and firm from here. Because of the tightness of those pants maybe? I imagine grabbing it and rubbing it, my hands going over the smooth skin. I bet the rest of his body is nice and toned as well...

"...wasn't even the real test to see if you've—Hm? Naoki, why is your face red?" Sensei stops talking to Naruto to glance over at me. He follows my staring eyes and his one eye widens slightly. I feel the heat from my face intensify as Sensei quickly stands up straight, almost glaring daggers at me. He must be pissed, heheh. I only offer a shrug in response, my other two teammates looking at me with shocked expressions.

"What? If you're gonna show it off, unwillingly or not, I'm gonna stare at it," I answer, the heat from my face slowly leaving as I regain my composure. All three of them seem taken aback by this remark, Naruto's face turning beet red. Sasuke just keeps staring at me, a blush on his cheeks as he frowns. Kakashi clears his throat, trying to focus on looking at all three of us again

"...Alright. Like I said, there will be a final test tomorrow morning. Don't eat breakfast and read these papers," He finishes his short speech by handing the three of us small sheets of paper with scrawled instructions. I feel his hand linger a second longer as it presses the white parchment into my hand, his rough fingers brushing against my smooth ones. I could have imagined that, I tell myself as Sensei easily vanishes in a cloud of smoke. Probably. Trying to read the note is hard, Kakashi's handwriting is kind of messy, but I get most of it. I stuff it into my pants pocket as I get up, turning to look at my teammates. Naruto is still deciphering the note, while Sasuke is already walking away. I clear my throat, trying to get their attention.

"So, we ain't gonna prep for this or what?" I ask, causing Sasuke to turn around slightly. Naruto looks up at me, confusion clear in his blue eyes.

"Whaddaya mean? What can we do besides follow the note and show up?" The blonde asks, causing me to frown. Damn, I figured he was smarter than this. Then again, he didn't get the title of 'dead last' for nothing.

"I mean we should try and get some info on Kakashi-sensei. One of the basics of being a ninja is to learn up on one's opponent if possible, yeah?" I ask, causing Naruto to smirk. Sasuke walks back our way, his interest seemingly piqued.

"You mean his 'three sizes'? I think you have that covered!" Naruto jokes, causing me to blush a bit. That isn't a bad idea either...Where would I get that? The only type of X-ray vision techniques are a secret of the Hyuga clan. Not like I can just ask them to give up their eyes, especially for something as stupid as this.

"No...though that gives me an idea. Anyways, Sensei is famous right? Copy Ninja Kakashi, yeah? People in the village have to know some things about him, like the other jounin. If we can get dirt on 'im, then we could have an advantage." I comment, Sasuke folding his arms over one another. He seems to think it could work.

"It sounds risky. He can't know we're doing it. Besides, I doubt Jounin would freely give out information on one of their own, even for a dumb test like this. I'm not losing here though..." Sasuke comments, his eyes narrowed as he begins to brood again. I nod, and look down at Naruto for a moment.

"You were able to sneak into the Hokage's mansion before, right? I heard you stole a scroll or something; it was pretty big news considering Mizuki was fired," I ask, watching as the usually cheery ninja's expression is melancholy. He rubs the metal of his black forehead protector, then stares at me, his expression serious.

"Yeah. What of it? I doubt we can do it again,"

"You can still try. 'Sides, you were pretty good with that small trap you set for Kakashi before. That'll be another ace in our hole. You should try and see if you can get Sensei's ninja file; shouldn't be too hard for the guy who stole a scroll," I comment, Naruto's smile returning as he understands my plan. Sasuke nods as well, apparently knowing where this is going.

"Alright, this could help us pass that test. I'm gonna become Hokage, so I gotta do my best. So what if it means a little breaking and entering?"

"Good. Sasuke," I turn to the Uchiha, who is blankly staring at me. "I'm going to need your help if we're going to get information. You're a lot faster than me and better at everything, so it would help if we split up to talk to people around the village. You can probably do things I can't; seeing as you've been raised by a ninja clan," I ask, causing him to frown as he thinks it over.

"Tch. Alright, I guess I'll do it if I have to. Not like I'm working together with you idiots anyway, I'll be on my own." He responds, making me grin. I thought that wouldn't work.

"Right. Knew you weren't such a pain after all. Everyone has their own ways of doing things...Oh, before I forget we need to set our own meeting time and place so we can gather together everything later."

"Okay! My apartment is big, so we'll have more space there. Plus, I have all my pranking equipment there too. Wait, we're going to be setting real traps for Kakashi-Sensei, not pranks right?" Naruto innocently asks, so I nod in response.

"Yeah. Just pretend like you're setting up a prank for somebody, except use actual ninja tools. I'll get some stuff too. Don't worry; Sensei should be able to handle what us Genin can dish out. He isn't famous for nothing,"

… … …

 _Well, we should be good. I'm still nervous though..._ I think, rubbing my hungry stomach. Both Naruto and Sasuke look worn out as well, their eyes ringed with dark bags. I doubt I look much better; all the preparation we did last night will be worth it. I pat down the grass and soil in front of me, being careful not to spring off Naruto's simple contraption. Sensei will probably see it coming, but at least I've hid it so it's not as easy to spot. Even if fighting all three of us, he'll probably be able to dodge most of the devices we've set across the field. I sigh, watching as Sasuke jumps down from a tree, rope in hand. He tugs on it once more, to make sure the pulley is effective. The rope doesn't move, so he nods at the contraption. Naruto is over by the three wooden posts, watching Sensei from afar.

"He's just standing there. Looking at that odd stone. Weird. He told us to meet him, so why isn't he coming?" the blonde asks, walking over to me. I sigh, lifting my black bangs from my face.

"Apparently he lost some friends during the Third War. Their names are engraved there; seems he has trouble letting go of the guilt," I answer, causing Naruto to stop smiling.

"How sad...I kinda feel for him,"

"Don't," Sasuke replies, seemingly coming out of nowhere. We both look at the serious expression on his face. "He's the enemy now; We can't waste our emotions on him,"

I nod, sad as that may be, the genius is right. "Jerkass is right. We can't feel sorry for him now. We have to beat him at whatever game he's playing,"

"I still don't like it. Hey, seems he's coming over finally. Been long enough," Naruto huffs in annoyance, and the three of us stand farther apart. I just watch Sensei nonchalantly stroll over, his masked face showing no emotion whatsoever. Even his black eye betrays nothing, a small pupil in a sea of white.

 _How can he do that? No show of emotion whatsoever…Yet, if he goes there every day to mourn, he has to have some feelings of guilt or sadness for his dead comrades. Is this what it means to be an elite ninja?_ I think, watching as Kakashi-Sensei's gaze sweeps over all three of us. His eyebrow raises as he takes in our ragged looks and slightly poor postures.

"Hmm…It seems you guys are prepared for this. You look a little tired though; didn't get enough sleep?" He comments, causing Naruto and I to scoff. So what? I don't need sleep…

"That…doesn't matter. Heh, we're ready," I state, pumping my fist in the air, trying to appear energetic. The move falls flat partway through, as I yawn instead of shout. I hear a chuckle from behind me, but I ignore it as if nothing happened, despite the feeling of heat on my cheeks.

"…Alright. Then let me explain the rules for our little bout," Sensei states, taking out two small silver bells from his pants pocket. "You guys have until the end of the day in order to get these bells from me. Come at me with the intent to kill; I won't be holding back either."

I nod my head, Naruto giving an affirming shout behind me. Sasuke only stares at the bells, a nearly imperceptible glint coming off his almond eyes. Almost immediately, I pour chakra into my feet and dash away, using the momentum in order to hide in the branch of a nearby tree.

"So impatient…I didn't even say 'Start' yet…Oh well…" Kakashi mutters, shaking his head slightly. I don't notice Naruto or Sasuke near him either, so I guess they hid as well. Good. I noticed an orange glint out of the corner of my eye, Naruto already going to attack Kakashi-Sensei. Good. Good. Let him think we're idiots. He does have the upper hand, even if he clearly isn't going at us with killing intent nor his full strength. He isn't even using the Sharingan to fight us, and with Sasuke on our team. The Uchiha must be pissed that a guy like him has that kind of eye, when he himself still lacks the potential at twenty-one. If our plan goes right, however, we'll force him to use that eye soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**An: For anyone curious, the idea for this fic was basically due to a convo I heard one day. Basically, someone said "what if some character actually liked the ass poke ninjutsu from Naruto like some character from a different series?" I have no idea who or what but I think the series name was Guilty Gear? That partly inspired me, along with a certain peice of kakaoc fan art that you can find by googling.**

 _He's stronger than we thought. At least the traps slow him down a bit so we can plan a little better. But at this rate...We're going to lose. I did not come here for that!_ I think, my brow furrowed in frustration. It has been at least an hour since the exercise started, the three of us trying out various tactics to beat Kakashi-sensei. He's managed to see through us every time; even when all three of us ganged up on him at once. I shouldn't have expected any less...I mean, he's a Jounin after all and one of the strongest in the village. And to think he's just playing with us; he hasn't even used his Sharingan once! I clench my fists in my hands, gritting my teeth. I will not lose here, not now. He has to have some kind of weakness...A spark of inspiration lights up my brain as I mentally curse for not thinking of it earlier.

We did do all that reconnaissance earlier, we just have to put it to use. I smirk as I recall the information we've gathered, combining it with the things we have learned since fighting sensei. If we look at it from that angle, we should find something we can beat him with. I try to quickly move from my hiding place in the trees, wanting to meet up with Naruto and Sasuke. I have a pretty good idea of where they are, following my intuition. It only takes a couple minutes for me to find them, my heart beating fast with excitement as I spot them hiding behind the bushes. I squint a bit, not really sure what is going on because my vision is obscured by the brush.

"It's your fault, jerk face! If you didn't have to be so much of a loner and actually tried working with us, we might have gotten the bells this time!" Naruto shouts at me, his whiskered face coming very close to mine. I wince at his proximity, since I don't like it when people get too close. He's also very loud, too...Though he does have a point. Maybe if we did work together we could've gotten those bells from Kakashi. No, what am I thinking? I don't need their help; I'm the first in my class and an Uchiha to boot! No way I'd need help from some dead last loudmouth and some chick who isn't even from a ninja family. Still...Naruto's skill at setting up traps was something to be admired, and I'm honestly surprised that the civilian was able to think up something like doing recon on Kakashi in the first place. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try and trust them...I shake my head, pushing those thoughts away from my mind as I respond as curtly as possible.

"Tch. What are you talking about, idiot? Me? Team up with you? Not likely," I respond, my face turning into a frown as I remember the last time I had done something as a team. I take a kunai out of my pouch, gripping its handle tightly to steady my resolve. That was a long time ago, back when brother was...I close my eyes, trying to forget the painful memories. He isn't your brother anymore, you fool, he murdered Mom and Dad. What kind of brother would murder their family in cold blood? Not just the immediate family either; he killed all of them. Everyone I loved, aunts, cousins, all dead. I feel pain sear through my heart, the emotional loss still painful after all this time. I remember my brothers words on that day, anger soon replacing the pain as I open my eyes. He betrayed me, my own brother. There's no telling what these idiots could do. I barely even know them. If I can't trust my own brother whom I lived with, how can I trust these fools? That idiot's voice breaks my concentration, loud and annoying.

"Sasuke, you could at least try, dammit! What's with your attitude, anyway? Ever since that one day, you've became even more distant and jerkoffish. I...It makes me mad, you thinking of us as garbage. I..." He stops talking there, his loud voice going quiet as he mutters something. I'm a bit curious to hear it, but I can't understand him from this distance. Whatever. I don't care anymore. My pulse quickens as I hear movement in the brush, my hand steadying to throw the kunai I had ready. I hear a loud shout coming from that direction, rather feminine in sound, which surprises me, causing me to let the blade dart off into the shrub. This isn't what catches my attention however. That would be the feeling of a powerful chakra almost right on top of us.

Naruto's being too loud as usual. Then again he does have a point. Sasuke did cooperate with the two of us during this excercise, but it wasn't enough. He barely did anything aside from recon and setting up a couple traps. He needs to stop being a loner and understand that some things require a team effort. I sigh, shaking my head as I mutter to myself.

"He's too stubborn for his own good, that guy. I guess I can't blame him though, after losing his family like that...And by his own brother no less, from what he told us. He must be reluctant to trust people. That's kind of sad..."

"...True. It's tragic really." A shiver runs up my spine at the sound of that voice, his breath tickling the nape of my neck. _Dammit!_ I don't need to turn around to know that Sensei is right behind me. I glance behind me quickly, noticing him crouched on the ground, his hands forming a sign for a technique. _Ah...what sign was that again? I don't remember, it can't be good..._ I muse, my body frozen up in shock. I can't do anything as I watch his hands plunge into my backside, a yelp of pain erupting out of my mouth. I can't focus on anything other than the feelings of his fingers piercing my asshole, the pain acute as they enter me. It hurts, yet I do feel some sort of pleasurable sensation as they dig deeper into my rectum, his fingers wiggling with every movement. He's trying to drive them in as deep as possible, and I realize it doesn't hurt nearly as much as the initial plunge. _I think...it feels nice?_ His fingers just stay there for a few seconds, my ass becoming more accustomed to them as he digs in deeper. It is a bit painful, but I can feel some sort of release almost as they brush up against particular places. I don't know how to describe it, other than an odd mix of pain and pleasure. I can feel them sort of get stuck a bit as he pulls out, the pleasure quickly replaced by another odd feeling as I just stare at him. He has a surprised look on his face, at least from what I can tell, my own face heating up a bit in shame. I can't see anything because of the mask covering his face, though his eyes are avoiding looking at me, his ears a slight shade of pink under his silver hair.

"...Odd. That jutsu usually gives off a different reaction. It seems like it failed...Why didn't it work?" Sensei mutters to himself, my own face curious as I just stare at him. I don't like feeling vulnerable, and I'm also curious about what he just said. I turn to face him when something flies out of the foliage, a sharp pain suddenly erupting from my face, the fast flying object completely missing him and going off into the distance. My nose instantly picks up the smell of blood, my hand going to where the pain is centered, the sticky stuff covering my fingers. It's a small cut, nothing serious, but it does sting a bit. It takes me a moment to realize that the projectile was a kunai thrown by one of my supposed teammates.

"...That jutsu...It was just a simple poke..." I comment, staring at our odd teacher. I thought he'd have left by now, seeing as his attack didn't work, but he just nods.

"Well...It apparently wasn't effective at all. Most people are laid flat by it. I've never used it that often, but your reaction was...erm... unexpected, to say the least." He responds, surprising me a bit. Why is he telling me this? I'm a bit confused, my head tilting to the side slightly.

"Sensei...why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be fleeing? Those idiots would take the bells otherwise." I explain, his expression softening a bit as his one visible eye crinkles in that odd way.

"True, but why exclude yourself in that last sentence? Besides, even if this is a contest, I'm still your teacher. Let's just say this encounter was an example of a jutsu working against its caster, hmm?" He responds, apparently waiting for my answer. _So he noticed that little slip, huh? Can't get anything past him..._ I blink, my brain stunned for a couple seconds, before answering.

"Because...there's no way someone like me can get them on my own. If all three of us couldn't do it up until now, what makes you think I could?" I honestly respond, my stomach lurching a bit as I watch his expression change for the briefest moment. He seems sad, or possibly disappointed as his eye avoids looking at me for a second.It disappears almost immediately, replaced by his regular neutral expression.

"You shouldn't put yourself down like that. You're still young. Even if you don't become a ninja, you can still be good at something else. I mean, your teammates aren't what I'd call normal by any stretch of the imagination. You have the last Uchiha heir in your group, as well as the most unpredictable idiot in the school. Don't sell yourself short just because you're normal, is what I'm getting at here." Kakashi-sensei explains, his deep voice making me feel a bit nervous and flustered. I turn my head away a bit, not wanting him to see the obvious smile on my face. I knew he was just tying to be nice because he was a teacher, but I felt an odd admiration for him despite that. I could feel my face heat up, my imagination going to work in spite of itself. I secretly hoped he was similarly flustered, my heart pounding in my chest.

Oh, this is embarrassing...I hear the rustle of leaves as Kakashi-sensei easily teleports away, his chakra signature gone almost immediately. At least as far as I can tell. Thank god. I feel shocked for a moment, then relieved, as I realize he isn't staring at me anymore. Taking a couple deep breaths to calm myself, I narrow my gaze at the spot of origin where the kunai had been thrown. Whoever did that is going to explain themselves! It hurt quite a bit. I crawl along the brush, being careful to be quiet in case Sensei is still trailing us. I doubt it, as I can't feel him anywhere nearby, but it's not like I was good at sensing people anyway. I see the small clearing where Sasuke and Naruto are facing each other, strained expresssions on their faces. The blond really looks ready to punch Sasuke, the anger clearly apparent on his face. They both look toward me as I stand up, brushing off the dirt from my body.

"Eh? Where'd you come from, Nao-chan?" Naruto asks, though he is still focused on Sasuke, who only sighs in response.

"She just came out of the bushes, idiot. So...you came up against Sensei didn't you? That was what that strong chakra was..." He comments, my face heating up a bit from embarrassment. I do my best to sound neutral as I respond.

"Y-yeah...it was pretty overwhelming. He was just...there! Whatever technique he had didn't seem to work too well on me though..." My face flushing even more as I can still feel the remnants of his fingers in my anus, the pain still lingering a bit even though I'm not squatting anymore. It might take a while to recover from that one. I do my best to ignore it, my gaze stern as I look at the two men.

"Never mind Sensei, he's long gone from here. What I want to know is which one of you dorks threw that knife!" Naruto only blinks at me, his blue eyes finally settling on the small cut on my cheek. Sasuke only scoffs, his eyes narrowing as he starts to walk away from the both of us.

"If you couldn't dodge that, what kind of a ninja are you? Damn it...Of course I get stuck with losers for teammates," he chides, my anger rising slightly at his thoughtless comment. I quickly run after him, despite the flashes of pain in my backside, my hand clasping tightly onto his wrist. How dare he! The black haired young man just stares at me, his gaze not betraying any hint of emotion as he attempts to shrug off my hand. It doesn't work, my grip adjusting slightly to counter it, his expression slowly becoming more annoyed as he scoffs once again. Naruto finally catches up with us, his orange and black clothing standing out very much in this green clearing. I turn to face the both of them, my gaze stern as I try to speak.

"Look, we need to put aside our differences and do this already. We're wasting time arguing over stupid shit..."

 _Alright. I think we can do it now._ I think, watching from my position in the trees. Naruto was busy fighting Sensei, using his large number of clones to his advantage. I felt good about this; if we could just tire him out and catch him off guard for a moment...Returning my attention to the battle, I could only blink in surprise at what I was seeing. I mean, I know the kid was a pervert; he'd been caught peeping on the women's and men's locker rooms at the academy before, not to mention other places. This was a different thing entirely.

I felt an odd nausea in my stomach as I watched the horde of naked women cling to our teacher. Of course they were just Naruto using a transformation technique, but still...It was pretty accurate, I might add. Thankfully I had snagged a copy of Kakashi-sensei's book at the bookstore, reading through it and coming up with a visual of the main heroine in my head. Using that as a base, I had asked Naruto to practice transforming into it using his technique. It took him a while, but he eventually got the hang of it. The book honestly wasn't too bad of a read, though admittedly a little more male focused than I had liked. Naruto and Sasuke didn't even seem remotely interested when I said we should go through the book to look for clues. He seems to read it all the time, so he must have some attachment to it. I mean, he's probably imagined the main heroine of the books a bunch of times in these kinds of situations. Who wouldn't self insert as the protagonist in this type of scenario? He's a man, after all... Not that I expected it to be anything different, but it was definitely more than a two bit porn magazine. We could use that to our advantage, and hence the scenario now. Naruto's technique seemed to be working, going by the look of shock on Sensei's face.

A few of the glomping women caught my eye in particular, their short hair standing out among the long green of the main heroine's. It would do no good to just have one type of woman after all; so that's why I told Naruto to make it as varied as possible. I didn't think he'd do _this_ , however. I feel my face start growing warm as I watch the short haired women turn their heads my way as they paw at him, my own face staring back at me. It's a pretty accurate transformation too, making me wonder when he'd gotten the chance. Little bastard...I wonder if _that_ could be what's making Sensei so flustered. I doubt it would be from seeing a 3D version of his favorite character from his series glomp him. He's probably imagined something similar himself. I feel something warm drip out of my nose, my hand reaching up to touch the sticky substance. I know what it is; blood. Tch. So maybe I was imagining myself as one of those clones...My heart pounds rapidly against my chest as I watch our teacher easily yet clumsily fend off the transformed clones. They have him quite entangled, some of the more...aggressive ones even trying to topple him over, their bodies easily covering his lithe form. He attempts to get them off, and I notice that he's quite careful with where he strikes them, going out of his way to avoid their sensitive areas. Even if they aren't real women and just Naruto in disguise it does surprise me that Sensei would bother to do that. I can only watch the scenario unfolding before me, Kakashi-Sensei stymied by the trampling clones. They thankfully have him lured to the correct spot, the traps we had set from before going off without any real trouble.

This was our real goal; to have him so distracted he would fall for our simple trick. Thanks to Naruto ingenious trap setting, Sasukes planning skills and my research on Sensei we were able to make this work. He can't do anything to really free himself, seeing as the women have his arms and legs pinned, the traps taking care of the rest. Needles strike into various points on his body, laced with poison especially designed to disrupt the molding of chakra. After all, without that, he was just as strong as any other adult, right? I continue to watch as ropes bind his hands and feet, the jounin not really making an attempt to free himself yet. He's too focused on something else. Besides, I notice that one of the clones is holding the pair of bells, Naruto grinning triumphantly as he holds them aloft. _All right! We did it._ I realize, watching as the blond quickly runs away into the trees, some of his clones disappearing as he does so. I take this opportunity to leave from my hiding spot, approaching our bound teacher.

 _So that idiot actually did it._ I think, watching Naruto from the shadows. I can't believed that worked on Sensei. He's supposed to be a jounin, an elite ninja. To be floored so easily by a technique like that...What an idiot. I watch as the orange wearing idiot approaches me, unaware of where I'm hidden. I smirk a bit as I jump out in front of him, careful to assume my usually neutral expression. As I expected, Naruto's eyes go wide at seeing me so suddenly, a small squeak coming of out his mouth.

"S-Sasuke! We did it, you jerk! We got the bells." The blond nearly shouts, his arms wrapping around me for some reason in a tight hug. Idiot. What is he doing? I'm not too sure how to react, his warmth oddly comforting along with the news that we passed the test. I just stand there, my body unmoving as he lets go, an odd shade of pink taking over his face. I avoid looking at the blond, an odd feeling coming over me.

"What was that for, dork? I know you get excited easily but calm down," I mutter, trying to play this off. Naruto only shrugs at me, holding up the pair of jingling bells as they clink against each other. I snatch them from him, holding the two small orbs by their red cord. We actually got them; this team of idiots somehow got them. I can't believe it...Maybe these idiots are good for something after all. I clasp an arm around Naruto's shoulder, a small smile on my face as I speak.

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" I turn to face him as I look into his eyes. They're clear azure and gleaming brightly with hope, quite unlike my own. I had forgotten what it was like to hope a long time ago, but...maybe with this idiot, I can start hoping again. Things might turn out okay.


End file.
